PETA’s ‘10 Worst Laboratories’ List

5. Tulane University
No responsible institution would lock thousands of animals in basement labs below sea level, but Tulane University in New Orleans did just that. Because of Tulane’s lack of disaster planning, thousands of animals suffered hideous deaths in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Tulane staff saved only 175 cages containing expensive transgenic mice and euthanized or abandoned the rest of the animals at its medical center and main campus, including rodents, dogs, rabbits, pigs, and primates. In response, PETA has called on the USDA to prevent Tulane from rebuilding its flooded animal research facilities.

Tulane’s National Primate Research Center houses more than 6,000 primates at its breeding facilities and has plans to expand this number by an additional 8,000. Instead of trying to reduce the number of primates used in experiments, Tulane wants tens of millions of dollars to increase its use of these animals. In 2005 alone, Tulane received approximately $15 million to expand its primate facilities, with many of its taxpayer grants running through at least 2010. An especially disturbing aspect of Tulane’s expansion is the construction of an $18.6 million level-3 biocontainment facility for chemical and biological warfare testing on primates. It can’t get much worse than that.

In another example of Tulane’s backward attitude, PETA recently discovered that its School of Medicine uses pigs to teach Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) courses in which animals undergo a series of highly invasive procedures, such as cutting holes in their throats and opening their chests to expose their hearts. The creators of ATLS fully endorse the use of a high-tech non-animal simulator. However, when PETA politely informed Tulane that “TraumaMan” is a scientifically validated alternative—which the AWA requires them to consider—Paul K. Whelton, Tulane’s senior vice president for health sciences, curtly rejected our suggestion. Tulane continues to perform invasive ATLS surgeries on pigs despite the fact that medical schools all over the country have switched to the TraumaMan simulator. Tulane won’t even take the smallest of steps to reduce animal suffering.

Note: PETA’s USDA complaint against Tulane also addresses Louisiana State University, which abandoned all 8,000 animals in its New Orleans Health and Science Center as Hurricane Katrina approached. These animals were left to drown or starve in their cages. Despite the predictability of this tragedy, Tulane and LSU plan to rebuild and expand their labs, which will place thousands of other animals in danger. PETA is actively working to keep animals out of New Orleans’ laboratories. Learn more.

Please write, call, fax, or e-mail the head of the university and politely ask him to stop these atrocities:

Scott S. Cowen, President
Tulane University
218 Gibson Hall
6823 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118-5684
504-865-5201
504-865-5202 (fax)
scowen@tulane.edu